Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs MTSU Blue Raiders Prediction, 1/18/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs MTSU Blue Raiders

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025

Location: Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN

TV: ESPN+

Murphy Center is the site where the MTSU Blue Raiders (12-5) will take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-6) on Saturday.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers faced Kennesaw State and walked away with a win by a score of 85-69 in their last game. Western Kentucky finished the contest with a 42.6% field goal percentage (26 out of 61) and knocked down 11 out of their 26 shots from downtown. From the charity stripe, the Hilltoppers knocked down 22 of their 31 attempts for a percentage of 71.0%. In terms of pulling down rebounds, they compiled 40 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 14 dimes for this contest as well as forcing 11 turnovers and earning 8 steals. Regarding the defense, Western Kentucky allowed the other team to shoot 32.9% from the field on 23 out of 70 shooting. Kennesaw State distributed 8 assists and had 5 steals in the matchup. In addition, Kennesaw State pulled down 40 boards (12 offensive, 28 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Kennesaw State ended up going 65.2% from the charity stripe by making 15 of their 23 shots. They also converted 8 of 41 tries from beyond the arc. Concerning fouls, the Hilltoppers ended up finishing with 21 and Kennesaw State had 23 fouls.

Tyrone Marshall is someone who was a factor for the game. He walked away from this one shooting 53.8% from the floor and also dished out 3 assists. He was on the hardwood for 32 mins and totaled 7 boards. He accounted for 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting.

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Western Kentucky enters this one with a win-loss record of 11-6 on the season. They currently have an average of 78.6 pts per contest (94th in D-1) while going 43.2% from the floor. The Hilltoppers are connecting on 34.8% on 3-pointers (144 of 414) and 72.4% from the free throw line. As a unit, Western Kentucky is grabbing 38.0 boards per contest and has accounted for 208 assists for the campaign, which is 297th in the nation in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 11.6 times per contest and as a team they are committing 17.9 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Hilltoppers are forcing their opponents into 14.4 turnovers every game while drawing 17.2 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 247th in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 240 conceded for the season. The Hilltoppers defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 40.4% (432 of 1,068) and they surrender 41.5 rebounds per game as a team. They are conceding 30.5% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 289th in college hoops in opponents points per game (75.7).

The last time they took the court, the MTSU Blue Raiders walked away with a victory by a final of 81-64 against Jacksonville State. The Blue Raiders snagged 23 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 34 in this matchup. They coughed up the ball 11 times, while recording 11 steals for this contest. Jacksonville State committed 16 fouls in the game which took the Blue Raiders to the free throw line for 23 shots. They were able to convert 17 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 73.9%. In relation to shooting from distance, MTSU converted 8 out of 26 attempts (30.8%). When all was said and done, the Blue Raiders went 28 for 61 from the field which gave them a percentage of 45.9%. The Blue Raiders allowed Jacksonville State to make 22 out of 57 tries from the floor which had them shooting 38.6% in the matchup. They went 26.7% from beyond the arc via 4 out of 15 and walked away from this one shooting 16 of 23 at the charity stripe (69.6%). In reference to cleaning the glass, MTSU permitted Jacksonville State to grab 35 in total (14 on the offensive glass).

Jestin Porter was important for the Blue Raiders in the matchup. He earned 29 points in his 39 mins of playing time and totaled 1 assist in the game. He knocked down 9 of 22 for the game for a rate of 40.9%, and earned 3 rebounds.

MTSU has a mark of 12-5 for the campaign. The Blue Raiders are responsible for committing 18.1 fouls per contest and they shoot 67.7% from the charity stripe. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 12.2 times per game (298th in the country) and they turn the ball over 11.6 times per game. MTSU has totaled 1,335 pts so far this year (78.5 per game) and they pull in 39.5 rebounds per contest. As an offensive unit, the Blue Raiders are connecting on 45.9% from the field, which is 135th in college.

The Blue Raiders on the defensive side of the court are 175th in the nation in points per game surrendered with 71.1. They are forcing 12.6 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 42.0% from the floor (116th in college hoops). The MTSU defense gives up 27.7% on shots from distance (105 of 379) and their opposition makes 73.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have surrendered 12.9 assists and 34.9 rebounds every game, which has them ranked 170th and 213th in college.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Western Kentucky

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